Workers fired after brawl dispute claims

DAYTONA BEACH — Two workers terminated by Bethune-Cookman University after a brawl on the campus that injured five and forced the evacuation of about 150 people from a dormitory say they have been made scapegoats by the administration.

Former dorm directors Arthur Miles and Emerson Beckles say they were fighting for their lives when an angry mob attempted to break into an office Tuesday morning.

Miles said he warned students to back up before setting off a fire extinguisher to clear the hall.

Authorities say the ruckus at the historically black university began after a sprinkler was accidentally set off by someone who had hung clothes from it. The disturbance started when students tried to return to the dorm but were prevented because of safety concerns.

University President Trudie Kibbe Reed said the workers were let go because they “acted inappropriately” and “exaggerated an already tense situation.”

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